Fragile Mind
by aloistrancing
Summary: After the murder of Lord and Lady Manson, all evidence (or lack of) leads back to their missing son, Hades. All of England suspects him of being the one responsible for the crime, but he's nowhere to be found. However, despite all of this, Ciel Phantomhive is willing to do whatever it takes to prove his dear friend's innocence; but what if this mystery is better left unsolved?
1. Disorder

"Jeez..." Ciel muttered under his breath, his nose wrinkling in disgust as he rose a hand to pinch his nostrils together in attempt to block out the smell of the two rotting corpses that laid in front of his feet. He was currently on site for an investigation of the murders of the Manson household; the bodies in front of him belonging to Earl Byron Manson and his wife, Lydia. Even the servants' bodies littered the floor, soaking the ground in blood, and filling up the entire estate with the smell of death. The only missing person from the household was the Lord and Lady's only child, Hades.

"Haven't seen a case this nasty in awhile..." Detective Fred Abberline noted as he stood beside Ciel, his face also in an expression of utter repulsion. Auburn brows furrowed as he tried to distract himself from the stench by diverting his attention to the young noble. "Come up with any suspects yet?"

"It's too early in the investigation for me to say anything definitive." The bluenette replied stoically, lightly shrugging his shoulders. He blinked as he then glanced up at the man. "Why? Have you already come up with one?"

Abberline nodded his head as he began to turn, raising his arm to point at a painting that resided against the wall at the top of the large staircase. "The only factor missing from the equation- _the kid_."

Ciel's eyes constricted and a single brow rose, his sole visible hue holding an unreadable expression as he, too, peered over to the painting of the young boy. "You think Hades killed his parents and the servants?" His voice was low yet calm, perfectly masking the emotions he felt within. It was almost like this question was a test, but just what was going to happen if it was answered incorrectly?

"I do." He answered with another curt nod, dropping his arm down to his side to shove his tiny notepad into his jacket pocket. "But as you've said, it's too early to say anything definitive. However, right now, he's the only person that could have been involved, and the fact that he's nowhere to be found doesn't quite help in proving him innocent."

The man's words seemed to have caused something within the noble to snap, as his eyes were now very clearly full of fire. Luckily for Fred, he wasn't looking at the boy, so he couldn't see the overwhelming anger that burned behind that sapphire orb. Ciel had managed to keep his tone cool, but _god_ , did he want to lash out... "Everyone in England knows that Hades has been extremely sickly and practically bedridden his entire life; how do you think someone with such poor health could successfully commit a crime like this? If you ask me, the only _logical_ conclusion to this case is that some enemy of Earl Manson either hired some assassins or killed the members of the household themselves, then kidnapped Hades to sell off or do with whatever cruel acts they so desire."

"Your logic seems a bit unreasonable, earl." The detective sighed. He shifted his eyes to the bluenette and offered him a small, sympathetic smile. "The two of you were close friends, weren't you? I apologize if what I said had upset you in any way, that was not my intent. I _would_ like to prove his innocence, I just don't know of any enemies this family could have had. If you know of anyone, anyone at all that could have wished ill upon this family, I ask that you please tell me; or if there's any places in the area that Hades would go in times of panic like this to seek safety in. Even the smallest lead can help us begin the journey in finding him and bringing him back."

"No places like that exist..." Ciel replied coolly, his eyes coming to a tired close as a small sigh slipped past his lips, and he ran his fingers through his cerulean locks. He dropped his arm to his side and leaned against his walking stick, glancing up at Abberline with a disinterested look. "The Mansons have had feuds with the entirety of England's nobles and the sister countries', but they've never remained in the red with anyone. I don't know of anyone who could actually have considered them an enemy. My guess is as good as yours, detective."

Abberline let out a heavy breath as he scratched the back of his neck dreadfully. "I'll have to ask around if any of the town's folk saw any suspicious activity taking place near the property during the night of the event; maybe drop a visit to their would-have-been in-laws, the Westenra family..."

"If you find out anything, tell me." Ciel replied, dismissively waving his hand as he had begun to walk away from the scene and towards his butler. "Sebastian." He spoke up, a stern gaze landing on the servant.

The demon's lips curled upwards ever so slightly into a faint grin as he spoke, "Yes, my lord?"

"Lets go home."

* * *

"It'd seem that everything leads back to the young master Hades being the culprit." Sebastian noted aloud, gracefully making his way to the side of Ciel's desk to refill his cup of tea with a sly, carefully hidden smirk dancing across his ivory lips. "Does that upset you?"

Bicolored hues rose up to glare at the butler as the noble muttered a quick yet aggressive, "Shut up." His knuckles turned a dangerous white as he subconsciously gripped the handle of the cup in his hands with all his strength. If any more pressure were to be applied to the poor piece of china, it would surely shatter into a hundred tiny fragments.

This reaction only caused Sebastian's grin to widen to a more noticeable size. "Anyways," he spoke up, changing the subject, "Lady Miriam Westenra accepted your invitation for tea this evening. She should be arriving within the next hour."

Miriam Westenra: Hades' fiancé. Her and Ciel weren't all that close, but they both care deeply for Hades and would do just about anything to find out where exactly he is. Ciel had invited her over so they could discuss matters about Hades, and maybe figure out just what happened to the Mansons.

"Good." The boy replied in a vaguely pleased tone, leaning back in his chair as he folded his arms over his chest. "All that's left to do now is wait..."


	2. Into the Woods

Ciel and Miriam sat parallel to each other in the dining hall, their gazes locked as a solemn aura enveloped the room. Sebastian stood at the side of the table, preparing tea for the pair of nobles.

"So, Hades _didn't_ go to your manor?" Ciel inquired, a hint of disappointment in his tone that only seemed to be noticed by the butler. It's not that he was necessarily expecting Hades to have gone there, but he was at least _hoping._

Miriam ran her fingers through her curly blonde locks, sighing heavily as she looked away to conceal the tears that had begun to brim her eyes from the earl's view. "No, he didn't... I thought if anything, maybe he'd be here since your estate is closer to his than mine is, but..." Her words trailed off as she took a breath, shifting her sight to the ceiling in attempt to keep the transparent tears in their barrier.

The bluenette's brows furrowed and his lips curled downwards into a small scowl as a heavy feeling had begun to form in his chest. He didn't even wait for her to fully compose herself and continue what she was saying as he spoke up, "I'm going to bring him back, Miriam. I _promise_ I will bring him back."

A faint, heartbreaking smile formed across the girl's pallid features as she shook her head. "Don't make promises you know you can't keep. I appreciate the gesture, but even by the slim chance you _do_ actually find Hades- he'd be sentenced to death without a trial. Everyone knows this..."

"He didn't d-"

"It doesn't matter if he didn't do it!" She exclaimed, tears now flowing down her face as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "The Yard's already made it known that they don't want to mess with this case, and Hades' is their perfect scapegoat!"

This only caused anger to arise in the boy's heart, and he shot up from his seat; a fire burning behind his bicolored eyes, "I'm going to prove he's innocent! The queen herself asked me to investigate this case and find out the truth, and that's exactly what I plan to do!"

"How?" She asked, an expression of utter hopelessness forming on her face. "How do you expect to do that? How do you know Hades _didn't_ kill them? How are you so confident?"

"Because I believe in him!" His brain didn't even get the chance to process a response, and he spoke without thinking, which unfortunately for his 'cold' image, was out of character. Just as he realized what he had said, he sat back down in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose in an annoyed manner, "Why would Hades have killed his parents and servants? It just doesn't make any sense. He's already lost Eden, so _why_ would he throw away all that he has left?"

Just the mere mention of Eden caused the entire room to grow silent. Again, Ciel was not thinking before speaking, and unintentionally brought back horrible memories for both Miriam _and_ him.

Eden was Hades' twin sister. There was an accident that happened years ago, which unfortunately resulted in the young girl's death... She was just as close to Ciel and Miriam as Hades was, and so this tragedy impacted all three of them intensely. Just the thought of her left a hollow feeling in their chests...

There was a moment of silence before Miriam finally spoke up, "I wasn't implying that I think Hades killed them... I _know_ he didn't; I believe in him too. I just don't believe justice will prevail when everyone else seems to be against him..." Glassy eyes lowered to the ground as she then murmured, "...It wasn't necessary for you to bring up Eden..."

"I apologize..." He sighed, hiding his face behind the palm of his hand as a feeling of dread took over his mind.

The blonde lifted her hand to brush away a single fallen tear from her cheek as she then rose from her seat, "Anyways, I should be leaving. I have to help my mother make arrangements for the funeral..."

"Of course." He uttered before pursing his lips together and offering the girl a curt nod. "Sebastian, please lead Lady Miriam to her carriage."

"Yes, my lord." The butler replied stoically, taking his place at the girl's side and escorting her out the door.

As soon as Ciel was left alone, his eyes came to a tired close and he leaned back in his chair lazily. A heavy sigh slipped past his lips as a troubled expression made its way across his features, "Hades, you idiot..." As if he weren't worried enough, this bit of information he'd gathered today only seemed to make the feeling worse.

He opened his eyes and stood up, exiting the dining room and making his way to the entrance hall. He glanced over the windows that were scattered throughout the room, and saw that the sun was beginning to set. "You're not dumb enough to actually have let yourself get kidnapped, are you?"

"Young master?" A voice from behind spoke up curiously.

Ciel nearly jumped, but masked his sudden fright with anger as he turned to scowl at the servant. "Sebastian," he deadpanned, "Make it known when you enter a room; I don't want you sneaking up on me."

"Forgive me, my lord. Should I start narrating my every movement?" The demon retorted, smirking widely at the irritated expression his words had provoked on the young boy's face.

"Forget it." He grunted, shifting his gaze. Ciel's currently too mentally exhausted to feed Sebastian's ego.

The butler noticed this and furrowed his brows, taking a step forward as he constricted his gaze on the young earl. "Is something troubling you?"

"What do you think?" The boy muttered under his breath, his voice vaguely audible to even his own ears.

"Pardon?"

"I'm fine, Sebastian..." He voiced louder; sighing heavily as he spun on his heel, beginning to walk away. "Prepare the-"

But before Ciel could even finish his sentence, there was a scratching sound coming from behind the large set of doors the noble was previously facing. It sounded like an animal or something desperately trying to catch the attention of whoever's lurking behind the doors, and much to the creature's fortune, it had done exactly that.

"Sebastian." Ciel stated sternly, eyes intently glancing over to the butler.

The demon nodded his head, swiftly making his way over to the door as Ciel took a step back, eyes squinted as he awaited to see just _what_ was on the other side of the door.

Sebastian swung the door open, and immediately, a large black and white husky came into sight.

"Asher?" Ciel spoke up, almost in shock. He'd recognize that hound anywhere- _it was Hades'._

The dog barked hysterically like it was trying to tell him something, before quickly running off in direction of the forest.

"Follow him!" Ciel demanded, chasing after the hound; his heart was racing at this point- just what the hell was Hades' dog doing here?!

When they had finally come to a stop, it was like _everything_ had come to an end; like the world was at a complete standstill. Ivory legs collapsed to the ground and bicolored hues had a film of tears hazing over their frozen expression.

"Young master, is this-"

"Hades..." Ciel uttered breathlessly. His heart was pounding so intensely in his chest, the drumming of it had caused the boy's ears to completely mute everything out.

On the ground before the bluenette and his butler lied a bloodied boy covered in dirt and sweat, his chest just vaguely rising and falling indicating that he was still alive; _Hades_. His eyes fluttered open slowly, his expression and sluggish movements resembling that of someone in a drunken state, before his gaze landed on the pair in front of him. "C-Ciel..." He struggled to voice, his words hardly a whisper, "...How ab-bout... a sleepover..? Hahah... heh..." The injured boy had attempted to laugh, but only caused himself more pain as he began coughing violently, blood trickling past his lips before he ultimately lost consciousness in his weakened state, and everything was engulfed in darkness...


	3. Reunion

Ebony lashes slowly fluttered open, the grey hues behind them constricting slightly at the sudden contact with the unforgiving rays of sunlight shining through the window and onto his ghostly pale features.

"Nngh..." Hades groaned, his face contorting in pain as he came to; his entire body ached, making it a dreadfully difficult task to sit up.

"Would you like some assistance?" An unfamiliar voice spoke up from the other side of the room, immediately snapping the young boy into reality.

His head shot in the direction it had come from, and his gaze landed on a certain butler clad in black. Confused and surprised, the boy jolted up and shrieked, falling out of the bed and onto the floor. "Ouch..."

The butler let out a small giggle, never faltering from his position across the room with a tray in hand. "I apologize for startling you, little lord, I assure you it was not my intent. However, it's relieving to see that you're well enough to produce such... _energetic_ reactions."

Hades simply pursed his lips together and nodded his head, his brows furrowed nervously as his eyes locked on the ground in front of him.

Once again, Sebastian smirked at the boy's demeanor. Just a few minutes ago the kid had looked like a corpse, and now here he is putting on a show. He bowed apologetically, "Forgive me, it really must be quite a shock to be greeted by a stranger just moments after waking up in an unfamiliar room."

"You don't say." Another voice spoke up, this time from the doorway.

"Young master." The butler grinned as he turned around to face to bluenette, "I was just about to call for you."

Ciel ignored the servant and brushed right by him, swiftly making his way over to the trembling boy on the floor. "As shy as ever, I see." He noted, his lips curling upwards into the faintest of smiles. "Are you okay?"

Hades accepted the hand Ciel held out, standing up as he nodded his head softly. "Y-Yeah... Thank you."

"Sebastian." Ciel uttered sternly, turning to glance back at the butler as he narrowed his gaze. "Go ahead and tend to the rest of your duties for the day. I need to talk to Hades alone."

"Yes, my lord." The servant bowed his head before placing the tray in his hand onto the nightstand and leaving, shutting the large oaken door behind him.

The moment Sebastian had left the room- "Ciel!" Hades exclaimed, throwing his arms around the bluenette before he even had the chance to turn back around. "I'm so glad to see you!" The boy leaned back just enough to take a good look at the other, but to still have his arms wrapped loosely around his waist. "Whoa, did you get taller?! Gosh, you're not even wearing platforms and you're taller than me! Ah, I missed you so mu-"

" _Hades_." Ciel interrupted in a low voice, brows furrowed and gaze solemn. While Hades' usual bubbly personality was endearing to see, right now was not the time to be messing around. Ciel was seriously worried about him, so much so, that it actually took all he had to keep his composure.

Hades pulled away from him and took a step back, awkwardly scratching the back of his head as he let out a nervous laugh. "Ah, haha... I guess it's no time to be talking about your height, huh? Sorry..." Thin digits ran through ebony locks before the arm ultimately dropped back down to the boy's side, and he lowered his head. "I guess you heard what happened..? I don't know what to do, or where to go from here... I kind of just want to-" Pastel lips pursed together before the sentence could be finished, and Hades forced a bright smile as he rose his face once more. "Lets save this conversation for later, okay? I'm still- _No_... I just want to have fun with you; like we usually do."

It was obvious he didn't want to talk about what happened. _Painfully_ obvious. It was a mixture of admirable yet heartbreaking to see how hard he was trying to retain his usual bright, positive attitude. While Ciel wanted answers, he could understand how Hades was feeling right now for the most part. It'd be best to just drop it for the time being, and be there to comfort his dear friend. Everyone and everything in the world is against him right now- at the very least Ciel could try to help him cheer up, even if it's only for a short while.

"You're right." Ciel spoke up, offering the boy a closed-eye smile. "But first, lets worry about your injuries. Sebastian will clean and dress your wounds and give you a fresh set of clothes, and _then_ we can do whatever you'd like." Honestly, Ciel had wanted the demon to tend to the boy's wounds _earlier_ , but Hades fidgeted around in his sleep too much, so it just wasn't possible to get it done with the precision they both desired.

There was a hint of hesitation in his smile, but it went unnoticed. "I hope sweets are included in that offer."

* * *

Hades sat atop a small table in the washroom and Ciel remained out of the way to the side of the room whilst Sebastian tended to the injuries on the boy's legs, and luckily, none of them were very serious. He mostly had small cuts and scrapes, accompanied by a few bruises here and there, but there was nothing life-threatening. The worst visible wound he had was a cut on his face that resembled a knife slash going over his left eye. It wasn't a very deep cut, but it'd most likely leave a scar. Regardless, Sebastian wrapped a bandage around the boy's head to cover it since he _did_ have some other cuts and marks hidden in his hair.

"You'll need to remove your blouse so I can take care of any lesions on the torso." The butler instructed, pulling out a fresh rag to wash the wounds with.

Hades protectively held the collar of his shirt in one swift movement, smiling awkwardly as he let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, haha, um... My torso's fine, actually, so there's no need for it to get checked out."

The butler's brows furrowed and his lips had parted as if he were about to say something, but-

"Then, we're done here." Ciel spoke up, stepping forward as he shifted his gaze from Hades to Sebastian. "Prepare a cake large enough for three servings. Miriam will be here soon, so-"

"Miriam is coming?!" Hades interrupted, staring at the bluenette with faintly widened eyes. The expression his gaze held was unreadable; it was a mystery as to whether it was fear or excitement.

This reaction threw Ciel off a little bit, and he completely stopped what he was saying beforehand to peer over questioningly at the boy. "Yes, I sent word to her just moments after Sebastian carried you inside because I made a promise to her. Why? Is there a problem?"

His features had shifted to yet another beaming smile as he shook his head, hopping down from the table he was sitting on. "No, not at all; I was just surprised. I didn't expect to get to see Miriam so soon."

The two continued to converse amongst themselves, completely forgetting about the servant that loomed across the room. Sebastian had watched them both closely as a small smirk had begun to tug at the corners of his lips. Unnoticed by the others, he left the room without a word to make preparations for the oncoming meeting.

"The little lord is surely interesting..."


	4. Strain

Hades was sitting at the very end of the table in the dining hall in a very stiff manner, his pained expression making it extremely obvious that he was uncomfortable.

A subtle look of worry claimed the bluenette's features as he gazed over to his friend with knitted brows. "If it hurts too much, you can go rest and I can reschedule the meeting with Miriam."

It was very clear to see that he was aching and uneasy, but it was a mystery as to why he was trying so diligently to sit through and endure the pain. Did he really want to see Miriam that badly? They _are_ betrothed and all, but Hades has never really showed any sort of "excitement" in seeing Miriam, for lack of better words. It was out of character for him to push himself so assiduously to see her; not that she's ever really made any effort to do the same. The two of them are a bit of an awkward pair... They may not show it well, but you could tell that they cared for each other; though, there has always been something... _off..._ in terms of their feelings for each other.

Shaggy ebony locks swayed faintly as Hades shook his head, trying his best to endure the discomfort he felt. "No, this is fine. Besides, I have cake, so..." He didn't even bother to finish the sentence as he reached a hand up to the table and picked up the fork, breaking off a piece of vanilla cake before shoving it in his mouth with a soft shrug of his shoulders. Once the piece was eaten, pastel lips immediately curled upwards into a fervent smile. "Sweets are all the motivation I need~!"

"I'm honestly surprised your mouth isn't full of cavities yet." Ciel uttered with a well-hidden grin, fiddling with his own set of cutlery. "However, knowing you, it's only a matter of time..."

"I'm willing to sacrifice a tooth or two for my true love." The boy retorted, raising up a piece of cake with his fork as he gazed at it with a posed, wistful expression.

"Choosing sugar over Miriam?" The earl questioned, laughing inwardly at the troubled look he had caused to appear on the other's face.

A distraught expression lingered across milky features for the briefest of moments before disappearing with a shrug of the shoulders. "Between sugar and Miriam, only one will never betray me..." He then pointed his fork at Ciel as he uttered with a stern stare, "And that would be sugar."

Normally this would be the part where Ciel would laugh, but... there was a bit of a strange, hidden undertone in Hades' words. The earl couldn't really tell if the boy was joking or not, much less what emotion his gaze held. That was one thing Ciel really hated about Hades- his habit of masking his true feelings, and putting up an almost perfectly unreadable front. Though, there were times where his act wouldn't be so flawless and you could tell that he was upset, but you could never get him to admit to it or elaborate. He always kept his troubles secret and carried the burdens all by himself, and _that_ was what Ciel hated the most.

However, the young noble managed to push his uncertainty to the back of his mind as he replied casually in a smug manner. "We'll see if that's still true when all of your teeth fall out..."

Before another word could be shared between the two boys, Sebastian entered the room. "Lady Miriam has arrived," he announced.

Without a second to spare, Hades had bolted up from his seat and sped off towards the exit whilst shouting, "I CHANGED MY MIND, I'M NOT HERE!"

"Master Hades, wai-"

"Oof!" Blood stained the originally white bandages in crimson as Hades fell to the ground, reopening one of the wounds on his head.

"Hades?"

Much to the poor boy's dismay, he had run _straight into Miriam_. He hadn't bumped into her with enough force to actually knock her down, though; the only reason he tripped was because he lost his footing as a result of the shock of seeing her. Trying not to crash into her, he stumbled and hit his head on the wall, thus bringing us to where we are now.

"Ouch..." He whined, raising his hand up to the side of his head, just over the area where the bandages were tinted. He then let out a reluctant, nervous laugh as his hand trailed down to the back of his neck. "Oh, Miriam! You're here!"

Cherry lips curled downwards into a scowl as the blonde stared down at the injured boy. He had so many bandages wrapped around his body, he looked like he was trying to dress up as a mummy. It was a pitiful sight, but seeing him act as his usual frivolous self was a mixture of relieving and heartwarming. A small sigh emitted past her frown as she then shifted her gaze over to the bluenette, "I presume _this_ is why you asked me to come here."

" _Scary_..." Hades uttered under his breath, a chill shooting down his spine.

This was a much different display than what Miriam had showcased in front of Ciel just days before; before, she looked so obviously concerned and anxious about the boy, but now that she was right here in front of him, her aura only seemed to hold feelings of irritation and apprehension. She'd always been like this when it came to Hades.

Ciel rose from his seat and circled around the table, making his way to where the others stood at the opposite side of the room. "Indeed," he replied, cerulean hues narrowing solemnly at the girl as his brows arched ever so vaguely. "I promised I would bring him back, and I did. I figured I should have informed you of this, and so that's why I called for you."

She forced forward a smile to Ciel as she offered him a small bow, "Thank you for keeping your promise." She then returned her gaze to Hades, her smile quickly fading. "You're too reckless; you need to be more careful." She nagged, stubbornly trying to keep up a tough front as she knelt down in front of him. She reached her hand out to gently graze her fingers over the freshly stained bandage, "Your head is bleeding."

"Despite my current appearance, I'm actually alright." Hades replied with a small, anxious chuckle.

She obviously didn't believe his words one bit, and her frown remained.

"It's fine, Mir..." He spoke softly, "Really..."

The bluenette cleared his throat awkwardly as he glanced away from the pair. "If the two of you would like some privacy, then Sebastian and I can-"

Miriam shook her head as she interrupted the young earl, "No, no; this is _your_ manor, Ciel- Hades and I will just take this conversation to the garden momentarily. Please excuse us."

Before Hades even had time to react, Miriam was already tugging him up on his feet and dragging him down the hallway. Once the two were finally outside, he had parted his lips to speak, but-

"You idiot, I was so worried!" The blonde shouted, throwing her arms around the poor aching boy's delicate frame as she pulled him into a tight embrace. Transparent tears welled up in her chocolate hues, rolling down her cheeks as she sniffled. "What h-happened..? Why didn't you show up sooner?"

As much as he wanted to hug her back, his body was in too much pain. He felt like even the slightest squeeze would cause his bones to crumble. "Miriam, let go, that hurts..."

"S-Sorry..." She sniffled once more, taking a step back as she retracted her arms.

Pastel lips curled upwards into a small, bittersweet smile as he rose an arm to cup the girl's flushed face, wiping away her tears with his thumb. " _I'm_ the one who's sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry or cause you any pain..."

"You've been missing for a _week_ , Hades. The Yard only discovered the cor- _crime scene_ yesterday, and the doctor they had brought said that it was at _least_ seven days old. I thought you were dead somewhere, or worse-!" She exclaimed, brows knitted tightly as she stared directly into dull, grey orbs. "...Where were you?"

"I got lost..." He answered in a weak voice, struggling to keep his composure. "After what happened, I... I was afraid to stay in that house... So I ran into the woods, and I got lost. That's why I was gone for so long; though, I have to admit it didn't feel like it had been a week... But I guess that explains why all of my small injuries were mostly healed by the time I got here." He added with a laugh, scratching the back of his neck in a tense manner.

"This is no time to be laughing! Be serious!" She scolded, more interested in learning the details of the tragedy rather than actually considering how this topic must be making Hades feel. "Tell me what happened."

"Oh, look!" Hades beamed, not-so-subtly trying to change the topic. "Asher's over there playing with a rabbit! How cute!"

"Hades..."

"Oh no, he's trying to eat it..." He gasped, covering his mouth as an expression of concern formed across his face.

" _Hades-_ "

"Asher, no! Rabbits are our friends! We don't eat our friends! Yield!" He called out to the canine, making a bunch of silly, disapproving gestures as if the dog were even staring at him.

"HADES!" Miriam yelled, clearly fed up with this sudden act he tried to pull.

The boy flinched at the tone of her voice, his features temporarily contorting in pain.

"You said you wouldn't keep any secrets from me- that you'd tell me everything- so, why won't you answer me?" She asked, her big brown eyes still glistening from the tears that previously poured out of them.

While it was true that Hades absolutely _hated_ the idea of keeping secrets from Miriam, he just couldn't bring himself to talk to about what happened; not yet, at least. "I... I just need some time. Everything's different now; this isn't something I can just talk about right away and explain. I'm still confused about it myself..."

"Can't talk about it, or _won't_?" She inquired bitterly, raising a brow.

He glanced back over to her with an unreadable expression in his gaze, releasing a heavy sigh before forcing a smile. "I don't want to talk about it. That's what you wanted to hear, right?"

"It's what I was expecting to hear, not necessarily what I _wanted_ to hear." She muttered, very obviously displeased with his response. "I can understand not wanting to share every little detail, but-"

"I love you, Miriam." He voiced tiredly, interrupting the blonde as he pivoted on his heel and headed towards the door that led back inside the manor. "But I think I'm finally starting to feel the pain from where I hit my head earlier, so I'm going to go lie down. I'm sorry that Ciel called you here for no reason."

Arguing with Miriam would ultimately get him nowhere, so there was no point in it. It'd just end with them both becoming upset for different reasons, and Hades was already upset enough with everything. As much as it pained him to make her leave, he just couldn't handle the weight of the stress she was adding to his mind. He couldn't bring himself to actually become agitated with her either; he understood her curiosity and concern, and did not blame her at all for her impatience with him. Right now just wasn't the time.

"Right." She uttered plainly, pursing her lips together as she followed him back inside to make her departure.


	5. Intolerance

While Ciel and Sebastian accompanied Miriam to her carriage to send her off, Hades staggered down the halls of the Phantomhive manor. One hand tightly clutched the bandages over his head as the other stayed against the wall, helping him keep his balance as he struggled to walk forward. It was a miracle he even made it up the staircase, really.

"U-Um... Excuse me, Master Hades..?" An unfamiliar voice spoke up from behind the boy, the tone of her words just oozing nervousness.

Ebony locks swayed softly as the boy glanced over his shoulder and to the maid, smiling warmly as he spoke. "You must be Mey-Rin! It's a pleasure to meet you!" He beamed happily despite his ghostly complexion and pained expression.

"Ah, y-yes! It's a pleasure to m-meet you too, young master!" She exclaimed, bowing repeatedly. "Oh, right!" She uttered, lightly hitting herself on the head as she remembered why it was she approached him in the first place. Her brows knitted together as a look of concern formed across her face, "Are you feeling alright? Your face is very pale, you've got fresh blood on your bandages, and you seem to be having trouble walking... Mister Sebastian told me to keep a close eye on you when he's not around so that I could assist you in his place, so..."

"Ah, I see... Well, if it's no trouble to you, would you mind helping me back to my room?" He inquired with an apologetic smile, laughing lightly as he lowered his hand ever so slightly to twiddle a strand of his hair with the tips of his fingers. "I'm perfectly fine aside from my head hurting a little bit. I think I just need to lie down for a short while."

"O-Of course! It's no trouble at all!" She nodded energetically, quickly making her way to his side so she could put her arm around him to offer some support as they headed down the narrow corridor.

Actually being up close and personal with him like this, she could see that he was sweating and that his body was hot to the touch despite his cold, sickly appearance. It was worrisome, to say the least. However, Mey-Rin kept her thoughts to herself and continued helping the boy to his room.

Ciel and Sebastian soon reentered the mansion, only to be immediately greeted by Mey-Rin, who stood before the two of them with an uneasy air surrounding her.

"Jeez..." Ciel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger in an annoyed manner. "What is it, Mey-Rin? Did you break another tea set?"

"Ah, n-no, actually..." The maid stuttered, awkwardly twiddling her thumbs. "It's just that Master Hades doesn't look very well, and-"

" _Where is he_?" The tone in his voice mixed with the sharp expression his single cerulean hue held sent chills down the servant's spine.

"In his room!" She squeaked, shrinking back a few steps so the two could proceed past her.

The bluenette didn't even offer another word or passing glance as he brushed by the girl and hurried up the staircase, his demon butler shadowing him the entire time.

"Hades, are you-" Ciel started, swinging open the large open door that led to the room his friend was currently occupying. "-okay..?"

Raven locks spilled down past milky skin and dirty bandages, lying messily atop the feather-stuffed pillowcase as Hades lied sound asleep in bed. The duvet was kicked off the mattress and discarded onto the floor, and the boy responsible for such was laying in the most uncomfortable-looking position.

A soft chuckle emitted past Sebastian's lips as he stared at the scene before him, "My, the young master has incredible sleeping habits. I'm amazed he managed to fall asleep so quickly."

Ciel facepalmed at this, "Should we leave him like this, or..?"

"Hm..." He crossed his arms over his chest as he lifted his index finger up to his chin in a contemplative style. "It might be best to keep him awake for a few hours, just to be safe. He _did_ hit his already injured head fairly roughly earlier; we wouldn't want him to fall into a coma."

With that said, the bluenette ushered for the servant to leave. "Go ahead and tend to your duties, I'll take care of him."

"Yes, my lord." Pale lips lulled, grinning ever so vaguely before he exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

Slowly, Ciel's feet moved forward, leading him to the side of the bed that sat in the center of the room. He looked down at the other, watching the small rises and falls of Hades' chest as a bittersweet feeling arose in his heart. However, he quickly brushed off these feelings as he extended his arms out, shaking the sleeping boy with gentle force. "Hades, wake up."

Almost as if on cue, Hades jolted up, eyes widened with fear before their sights landed on the person in front of him. "Oh, it's just you, Ciel..." He spoke breathlessly, bringing a hand up to his chest in attempt to calm down his racing heart. "You nearly scared me to death..."

That was... _odd_. While it was a normal thing for someone to become frightened upon being forced awake, that expression that lingered in Hades' eyes- even if it was for the briefest of seconds- was anything _but_ normal. He had looked utterly _terrified_. Maybe Ciel was just overthinking it, but this reaction was unsettling to him.

"Why did you make Miriam leave?" Ciel questioned, ignoring all of the thoughts that flooded his mind on things that he _really_ wanted to ask.

"Ciel, do we really have to ta-"

"If you won't tell me that, then tell me what happened at your manor." He interrupted, raising a brow. While the merciless earl act was something he was exceptionally skilled at, it was actually incredibly difficult for him to keep up with right now. Ciel didn't want to be cold and insensitive to Hades, but he _needed_ to know what happened. Whether or not this method would work was unknown to him, but he at least had to try.

"I'd much rather eat cake~!" He cooed, completely unfazed by the front Ciel had put up despite never experiencing it being directed at him before. "Lets cut the chatter, and pick up our platters!" He exclaimed with a toothy smile, gesturing a double thumbs-up.

"I'm serious." Ciel deadpanned, numbly in awe at the other's display. Honestly, though, he _was_ glad that Hades didn't seem to take his cold attitude to heart. Unfortunately, that wasn't what mattered right now. The queen ordered him to find out the truth and report it to her as soon as possible. It's already been a week since this case was given to him, and even now with Hades in his manor, he _still_ hasn't the faintest clue as to what happened.

A sigh slipped through rose petal lips, "Option number one it is, then..." He then peered up at the bluenette as he lightly tilted his head, an apologetic smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "But if I have to answer, can I at least have some medicine first? My head is pounding, and talking about topics that make me anxious will only amplify that pain."

Expected that he would go for the first choice and avoid speaking of the incident, but at least he was willing to give some insight on _something_. "I'll go get some." He replied, pivoting on his heel to head for the exit. "Stay put until I return, alright? And don't you even _think_ about falling asleep again, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, boss." Hades saluted, holding in a giggle. He watched as Ciel left, a big grin spreading across his face once the boy was finally gone. "I heard you..." He uttered silently into the emptiness of the room, "... _but I never said I'd obey_." And like the child he is, Hades carefully tiptoed to the other side of the room, delicately opening the door as he made a discreet departure. "Besides, playing a little game of hide and seek seems like much more fun than blabbing about the unnecessary things."


End file.
